Magnetic keys, such as the one shown in FIG. 1A, are an integral part of a locking system used in the global healthcare environment to unlock a button or pin combination, which locks patient restraining devices. An example of such a locking system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,977 to Piron, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
One potential problem in a health care environment is the placement of or the carrying of an open strong magnet in an environment where stray magnetic flux lines may cause substantial and life threatening damage. Magnetic keys are typically carried by healthcare workers in a variety of ways including on a lanyard around the neck, in the pocket or on a belt. Inadvertent contact near a sensitive electronic item may destroy the item itself, could erase information contained in or on the device, or disrupt signals running along an electronic line. A pacemaker is a typical device in which a “Reed” switch could be closed by the magnetic flux. This inadvertent closing could adversely affect the proper operation of the pacemaker and could affect a patient's health.
The erasing of data could include eliminating important information from a Holter monitor to the wiping of information on an access card used to permit entry into vital areas of a hospital. Even the least severe effect of prohibited entry into such an area during an emergency could be a serious safety matter. With the increased use of medical devices in a healthcare setting relying on data carried by digital signals, a disruption of these signals by the uncontrolled flux of the magnet may continue to become more critical in the future.